


Achieving More With Focus

by Sophie



Category: Artemis Fowl - Eoin Colfer
Genre: Age Difference, Age Play, Authority Figures, Emotional Manipulation, M/M, Mutual Masturbation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-12-26
Updated: 2010-12-26
Packaged: 2017-10-14 03:06:19
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,138
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/144664
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sophie/pseuds/Sophie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Artemis knows what he wants. He also knows that taking it will make Butler stop asking questions about what he's plotting, at least for now.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Achieving More With Focus

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Pareidolia](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pareidolia/gifts).



> I am an incredibly last minute pinch-hitter who jumped on the excuse to write Butler/Artemis fiction. This was started as soon as the pinch hit was sent: at 2AM on the 26th. Be thankful to my beta. I'm not sure how readable that was before she went through it!
> 
> This fic is not officially set at any particular moment, so you can sort of decide just _how_ young Artemis is.
> 
> Thanks to [Tali](http://archiveofourown.org/users/inabathrobe) for the beta.

Just because Butler doesn't talk as much as he listens doesn't mean that he's not bright. Particularly, he's very intelligent when it comes to strategy, and he's very intelligent when it comes to Artemis. He would have to be; that is what he was raised for: to be by Artemis' side all through his life.

It's only natural that he can tell when his principal and friend is worried and preoccupied. Something is wrong in Artemis' life, and that is rarely a good sign.

The problem is —the _main_ problem is— that Butler knows it's about him. He can tell by the way Artemis has changed his behaviour with him. No one would ever be able to tell that there had been any change at all, but Butler has been by Artemis' side from the very first days after his birth. _He_ can tell.

He doesn't show it. If Artemis has decided to change his mind about him now that he's— He needs a word, a word that is not "old" or "crippled" or "useless," even if he feels all three of these— If Artemis is finally going to make a decision, Butler wants it to be impartial and doesn't want to influence it in any way. Artemis (mostly) always knows best, and he will solve any problem he needs to. And if Artemis needs his help, he will ask, and it is not Butler's place to interject.

They're friends, he knows as much, but they're only friends because Butler broke rules. One should not be friends with their principal the way he is. If they were simply friends, he would maybe raise his concerns. Or maybe not. Butler doesn't need to know everything going on in Artemis' head; he trusts him. They trust each other.

Weeks later, the feeling in the back of Butler's head hasn't vanished at all. To make everything more unsettling, Artemis is being... calm. Not calm as the vast majority of the planet would define the word, but calm for Artemis. He's not plotting or doesn't seem to be. And since the possibility of Artemis not plotting anything for so long is tiny, the conclusion is that he's been planning something without sharing it with Butler. It shouldn't hurt as much as it does; it's part of the consequences of getting to close to Artemis, of getting too attached, and he has to deal with it now. He doesn't like to be reminded that his decisions about Artemis do have negative consequences.

Butler finds him in the library, deep in thought. He's recently spent too much of his time thinking about Artemis' behaviour and it has become a distraction, and every source of distraction is a liability. He's professional enough that it doesn't show in his technique, but what if it did at the worst possible moment? What ifs are the scariest things out there. They hurt whether they're about the past, the present or the future. What if Artemis has finally realised that he is a lot less efficient and useful than he used to be? What if things had gone differently and he hadn't died at all?

He sits next to Artemis, leaning back comfortably in the armchair. Artemis doesn't let this disturb him, not because he's ignoring Butler, but because they're never bothered by one another's presence.

"Artemis?"

The teenager blinks slowly a few times. "Hmm."

"Are we friends." It doesn't come out as a question, but rather as a calm statement.

Artemis looks confused for less than a second —he hates looking confused and wipes the expression away fast— before putting on a poker face. Butler can tell it's fake. "Of course. Why would you have to ask?"

"I know your definition of friendship is not the same as anyone else's, but when something bothers you, telling a friend—"

"No." The tone is decisive. The conversation ends here.

They're silent for a very long minute before Butler decides that a conversation only ends when both people participating in it decide it does. Artemis can tell he's about to speak up again and does so first.

"It's fine. It's nothing that concerns you."

Butler smiles at how ridiculous the statement sounds to his ears. "Of course, it concerns me. It is _about_ me, isn't it?"

"These two are not the same. It would only concern you if you could change anything about it."

The sting of hurt is back, but Butler was ready for it. "So it is about my condition, then."

"Yes. If you must know."

"I've told you before..." He stops and sighs, a bit frustrated. Not at Artemis, though. At himself. At life. At least he's alive.

"What have you told me?"

"If you feel I'm too old --"

"You're not old."

"Artemis."

"You're _not_ old." He stands up. "Now, stop this." Artemis doesn't move away, so maybe the conversation isn't as over as it would seem. Butler waits, but nothing comes.

"I've accepted it. I have faith in our abilities to remain friends even if you relieve me—"

" _Don't_ lie. I see you every day, I know you, and you haven't accepted it. Your 'condition' is eating you alive, and I will not let you hate yourself for something that was entirely my fault. Not to mention you are still the best bodyguard there is, and firing you would be completely counterproductive."

Butler understands, then, he realizes why Artemis hasn't been talking about what he might be plotting, and it's not something he likes. He frowns, and he can tell from Artemis' eyes that he's right. Whatever Artemis is doing that might give him his previous age back, it's not something safe, and it's probably not sound either.

He tries to figure out how to tell Artemis to let it go and stop whatever he's been doing in a way that might make the teenager consider Butler's demand. He's still going through possibilities in his head when Artemis walks up to him and stands in front of the armchair. He looks like he always does, proud and confident, but to Butler, the only thing obvious about him right now is the sadness and guilt he's hiding.

And then Artemis is leaning forward, palms flat on the armrests, and his mouth is over Butler's. His usual overconfident look is there, more than ever, when he leans back. His hands still hold onto the armrests.

"I'm sorry." He sounds nearly angry, and Butler waits again because he's lacking enough information to make a decision about anything. This is clearly not anything he would have planned, and he should be ready for any eventualities. "Not about the kiss," Artemis adds. He doesn't say that it's about Butler's aging because he doesn't need to. He hadn't needed to apologise, either, since none of it was his fault. He should know that.

"You're not old, but you still think you are. That's why I need to do something."

Artemis leans in, no doubt to kiss Butler again, so he puts his hand on Artemis's chest and, without pushing back, stops his movement. Artemis looks unimpressed by the gesture. Butler doesn't remove his hand, though, because Artemis is too young to know what he's doing (even if that is a lie; Artemis has always known what he's wanted), because there is a question of authority between them (even if Butler is the one working for and under Artemis and not the opposite), and most of all, because it would denigrate everything he learned at Madam Ko's Academy to let this happen. He needs to start caring about that again very soon.

"Why?" It seems like an important question to ask.

Artemis understands what the question is, of course, and decides to answer it instead of being irritating and answering another question Butler could have asked. "Because it would be a very efficient way to show you that I do not think of you as being old," he says bluntly. "And, considering the current situation, it was the best opportunity I've had to do this with a chance of you reciprocating since I've started thinking about it."

His smile hides a challenge, and it makes him look five years older. For all of three seconds. Butler moves his hand away and Artemis takes his cue to press his lips against his again, and again, aggressive and needy in a way Butler has never seen him. It's altogether too easy to circle his waist and pull him and lift him up just enough that he can straddle Butler's thighs on the chair. Artemis knows how to kiss, and Butler has to force himself to enjoy it instead of thinking about when and where had he learned that specific skill. Only two answers can come from this question after all: either Artemis has learned it from someone else without Butler's knowledge and he'll feel like he has to hunt them down, or he hasn't and kissing comes naturally to him (or at least it does with Butler), and Butler is reminded that Artemis is too young for this.

The kisses stop. "Stop thinking."

Butler laughs. "Do _you_ ever stop thinking?"

"Make me." The line is cliché and doesn't come as fluidly as usual from Artemis' lips. He's hesitant.

"Artemis, if you—"

"Oh, for God's sake. I'm not hesitant because I'm not sure I want this. I'm hesitant because I don't want to coerce you into anything because of our already existing relationship." A pause. "Much."

"It would be very hard to coerce me."

Artemis looks as if he thought this was a load of bullshit. He's right. "So will you start kissing me back, then?"

Butler does. He puts his hands on Artemis' waist under his shirt, and holds onto him as he initiates the next kiss and twenty of them after that. He tries to listen to Artemis' previous order as well and does his very best to stop thinking. He's perfectly happy with simply kissing his young friend too because he knows him, they know each other, and this is... important. This is real. It's not just a game and they will not act like nothing happened after they leave the library. This will change everything without changing anything at all. Butler has been breaking half the rules with Artemis already; one more doesn't mean anything to his job.

"Neither of us is especially good at halting our brains."

Butler can only agree. He looks at Artemis in front of him, slightly flushed, his lips showing every sign of being well-kissed. He sees the way Artemis' chest rises up and down more quickly than usual and everywhere he touches his skin he can tell his heartbeat is faster than normal. He lifts his hand to Artemis's cheek and rests it there, caressing his way down to Artemis' neck and back up. Like this, he looks every bit like his age. Butler shouldn't be finding this attractive, but he does. It makes his own heart beat faster and his breathing harder.

"You're beautiful."

Artemis chuckles once in a mocking laugh. "It's very nice that you think so because I would wonder why you're not pushing me away if you didn't."

He's smiling. Butler loves that he's the one that made him look like that, that is making him smile. He can feel Artemis' hard on pressing against his stomach because of their position, and he loves that he's made that happen, too. Not that he will try to do anything because Artemis might not be comfortable—

Artemis' smile becomes predatory. He moves away just enough that he's not pressing against Butler anymore (that Butler can't feel him anymore), and he catches Butler's hand to lower it over his crotch.

"Now stop restraining yourself."

Artemis wraps his hands around Butler's shoulders, and Butler does not tell him that he can change his mind at any time because Artemis has been very vocal and very obvious about what he wants as opposed to Butler himself.

And Butler wants this. So why make everything more complicated?

He kisses the corner of Artemis's mouth and down his jaw to his neck and collarbone as far as he can reach with Artemis still wearing a dress shirt. _Still_ because this will happen with a lot less clothes in the future, maybe not right now or today, but it will. Butler only starts moving his hand and rubbing through Artemis's pants after he's back to kissing his mouth.

"It's all right." Artemis bites Butler's lip instead of hitting him for saying that or stopping everything again to sigh and be annoyed. They've had enough interruptions.

Artemis' breathing speeds up quickly and he's soon pushing against Butler's hand. His kisses become less and less precise, and the hold behind Butler's neck tightens.

"God. _Touch_ me." This is incredibly vague and non-specific for Artemis. It's all Butler needs to start fiddling to open Artemis' pants. He can kill someone thirty different ways using only one finger, but undoing a button is currently a challenge.

He lets out a groan that sounds nothing like himself. And another when Artemis breathes out a demanding " _yes_ " and shivers in Butler's arms — _because_ of Butler. It's a reaction Artemis can't control at all, and he must be very much hating his body for failing to obey him right now.

It's easy to lift Artemis with one hand, just enough that Butler can push his pants down around his thighs, enough to expose him. Enough that he can see Artemis's erection and feel Artemis needing him a dozen different ways and wrap his hand around him and stop himself from thinking because of how he nearly can't see Artemis' cock at all anymore under this hand.

No kissing at all is happening now. Artemis buries his head in the crook of Butler's neck trying to do it in a way that it's not _entirely_ a stereotypically submissive gesture because Artemis hates those.

He thrusts into Butler's fist a few times until he realises that matching Butler's rhythm is not as easy as he thought it would be. So he stops trying and instead commands, "Faster."

Butler doesn't. He's apparently in an exceedingly good mood (now why would that be?) because he slows down instead and wraps his hand a bit harder. The movement is meticulous now, and he rubs his thumb over the head. There is barely any precum to spread and to help him in his task, but lubricating his thumb with saliva would require him to let go of Artemis, and that is the last thing he wants at the moment.

"You're so—" Artemis moans, clearly annoyed. "You are _not_ going to be the only one— having fun."

He removes his right arm from around Butler's shoulder to reach between them and undo Butler's pants. There's no way to push the piece of clothing away completely, so Artemis has to reach into his opened pants to pull out Butler's erection, less cautiously than he should have but Butler enjoys every single sign that he's making Artemis lose some of his control.

In fact, Artemis has lost enough of his control that he laughs nervously as he starts stroking Butler once it's possible. "You must have scared women away."

That is _not_ the kind of comment Butler was expecting from him, and he's glad that he can still be surprised by Artemis.

"I am not interested in women, Artemis."

"Oh." Artemis looks lovely right there and then. Butler speeds up his hand again and adds a twist to the stroke, just as he starts kissing Artemis again. He's more involved in the kiss than in the handjob, opening Artemis's lips under his and licking his lips, enjoying how enthusiastic Artemis is in return. Artemis's kisses are not precise, his mind elsewhere.

It's quite an achievement that he can stroke Butler in the midst of everything happening with his lack of experience. Artemis has always been about achievement. It's a bit of a shame that Butler isn't letting himself simply feel it all, but he wants to make this good for Artemis first and foremost.

His own cock twitches when he feels Artemis tense up in his arms and gasp in his mouth.

" _Domovoi_." The way Artemis says his name makes him change his mind just enough that he pulls him even closer to him, close enough that he can open his hand and curl it around both of their erections, over Artemis' hand.

Artemis hisses and comes a stroke and a half later, making a mess of both of them. It takes a little more work before Butler comes too, adding to the mess and making Artemis smirk in victory.

Butler cleans them up as best as he can with the tissues he keeps in his pockets and helps Artemis pull his pants half back on before simply relaxing again and holding Artemis close.

"We still have to clean up more efficiently."

"Now?"

"Not necessary." Butler smiles. He's happy, and the feeling grows and grows every time he glances at Artemis's face and can see that his young friend is just as happy, too. Even though this will have negative consequences, it has enough positive ones that Butler thinks it may be worth it.

"Since when do you have more control than I do?" Artemis asks.

Butler strokes Artemis' spine. "I have always had more control than you in a number of fields. You have control over your mind; I have control over my body." He doesn't add that Artemis is new to sexual pleasures and that it will take time before he can have any sort of control over his body or mind in the middle of any sexual encounter.

Artemis nods as if he had been expecting exactly that answer, and settles on Butler's broad chest. He's thinking as usual, and Butler hopes it's about what has just happened between them and not about how to put his life in danger to try and give Butler fifteen years of his life back.

Butler kisses his temple. "I've always loved you."

"I know," Artemis answers as if Butler had just stated the most obvious thing. Maybe he has. He likes knowing that his sentiments have always been clear to Artemis, at least.

He wants to talk about how it's because he's always loved Artemis that he can live with being too old to be the third best martial artist on the planet like he used to be, that it's because of this love that he doesn't want Artemis to do anything dangerous for him. However, when Artemis has a project in head, nothing Butler says or does will stop him.

It would ruin the mood to bring it up again too, so he stays silent and doesn't think about all the new rules he's just broken.


End file.
